Here we are with the first Comic Book Review since Milestone Comics, Static: Season One Issue One. Today’s review will be about DC’s first issue of Superman: Son of Kal-El.
We’re entering into new territory so to speak, the Superman Books have a new set of creative teams, and each of them is aiming to take the Superfamily to new heights, in this new book we have the team of Writer Tom Taylor, artist John Timms, Colorist Gabe Eltaeb, and letters by Dave Sharpe.
One of the things that people like Jonathan ask themselves is “What makes someone a hero?” “How does someone stand out when you have a dad who is the most famous hero of all time?” Well lucky for us we will get to learn together as Jon puts on his costume and rushes out to stop a Forest Fire!
As a fan of Taylor’s work, I enjoyed how he introduced Jonathan to new readers, especially at the beginning of the story retconning his birth, originally Jonathan was first introduced during the Convergence Event Arc but the whole event was a mess due to the beginning of the end for the New 52 era.
Just like his father, Jonathan is tackling big issues that are plaguing the world today, such as Climate Change, making it clear that DC is following the trend of Generational Stories that are hugely popular right now in Superhero Media today, real-world conflicts that the younger generation of fans have been very vocal about but also have a belief that the Baby Boomers aren’t doing enough to combat the problem properly (Similar to the Marvel and DC’s era near the end of the Silver Age, leading into the Bronze Age.) It is a new world for Jonathan, and Tom Taylor is plotting a new course for the Superman books, also keeping it relevant. One thing that fans enjoy most about Jonathan is that he isn’t afraid to question authority and is willing to try to cause systemic change rather than just literally putting out fires, the strengths of both his father and mother. Taylor knows the importance of Superman in the DC Universe, writing two phenomenal stories such as DCeased and Injustice: Gods Among Us, keep in mind both stories had a Corrupt Superman and Jonathan having to fight his father in DCeased.
Another thing I would like to bring up is how great John Timms artwork is in this first issue, keep in mind he also provided art for Bendis’s Superman for several issues, and Future State: Superman, Timm’s smooth transitioning from action scenes to intimate moments accompanied by his detail to landscapes, space, and of course a raging fire with Eltaeb’s colors brings out both the fiercest and texture well.
The Humor is well-played in this issue, with Superman trying to keep calm while an Invasion is going on in Space, the banter between the members of the Justice League is priceless. Wonder Woman informing Batman about conducting tests on Jonathan after his birth doesn’t help his reputation of being extremely paranoid, plus finding Damian on the other side of the world fighting in some strange tournament. In the final part of the review, I would like to point out how well Letterer David Sharpe did on making sure that nothing is intruding on the action, nevertheless, it helps keep the action intact, and the use of a different color letterbox for different characters helps readers get a good distinction.
This was a good first issue, one of the strongest debuts for DC in years, Taylor does a great job with this and making the character keen on the pressing issues of today. It does carry a nod to the CW’s Superman & Lois Television Series, Jonathan is the legacy of his parents but wants to make a name for himself, while he has Kryptonian Strength, this character is relatable. I look forward to what Tom Taylor and his team have in store for this series and the next issue.
Final Grade:
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The DC Multiverse Superman Rebirth Action Figure features ultra articulation with up to 22 moving parts for full range of posing and play. The Superman Rebirth action figure is based on his look in the comic series. Superman Rebirth comes with a flight stand base. Also included is a collectable art card with Superman photography on the front, and character biography on the back. Sent to Earth from the dying planet of Krypton as a baby, Kal-El was found by farmers Martha and Jonathan Kent and raised as their son, Clark. As Clark grew up, the radiation from Earth’s yellow sun gave him extraordinary powers, which he kept hidden. Now fully grown, he uses his powers to protect his adopted world as Superman. The Man of Steel is virtually invulnerable and has the powers of super-strength, super-speed, and flight. He also has enhanced senses, including heat vision, X-ray vision, super-hearing, and super-breath.
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